Certainly true - it just seemed like it all fell apart over weeks as opposed to over a season or two. And the White Sox hitters who'd never seen him lit him up too. It seems like if it was just a matter of learning him, someone like Podsednik still wouldn't have been able to hit a HR off of hm in his first at-bat. Who knows, though.
Question, would you freak out more if Jennings and Lee both suck it up tonight or if Lidge's comes in and blows it in the 9th?
it's only 1 game....it was actually i thought a good low fastball right below the knees, he went down just served it up...I give more credit to Nady then Lidge throwing a bad pitch.
Did Ausmus call for it in that location? If so, then I'd agree too, that it looked like Lidge put it in a decent spot. And if Nady was sitting "dead red" then perhaps more blame should lie on Ausmus for calling for the fastball. But then again, when you have only 2 pitches, and you're having trouble throwing one of them for strikes, you aren't left with much options.
From what I've read (I didn't get to see it), the pitch was headed straight for Ausmus's mitt. The folks commenting on Lidge being "figured out", what with his two pitches, are really intriguing me. This seems a lot more reasonable than "he's a head case" or he was "Pujolsed".
Well it definitely makes the most sense, considering Lidge has NEVER backed away from the constant criticisms he has faced sinced that day. That doesn't strike me as a guy who is truly shellshocked. And seems to point to even more of a need for a 3rd pitch, perhaps that cutter he's been working on...if hitters have a 50-50 chance of guessing fastball, and can see slider coming because it's not falling into the strike zone consistently enough, then that's pretty good odds for them getting a hold of one.
I've been calling for Lidge to start throwing a 2 seamer. It will add a lot more movement to the ball. When you see batters constantly turning around 97mph, it means it's too straight, and they've caught on to the timing.
Milo's partner mentioned this about three times during the broadcast even before he struck him out. I still can't believe how so many of you are running around with your arms up in the air and asking for the TOMBSTONE on the Chron. No loyalty at all, gentlemen. No loyalty and no optimism at all.
